|
Post by hestiamoon on Jul 24, 2014 13:46:43 GMT -5
We are pasture raising our small herd of Dexters. Four cows, two year old heifers, one year old bull, 2 new male calves and1 female calf (all 3 are under 4 months old). The bull year old, (which may be a fraction Angus, there is some dispute over his mother's bloodline purity, she definitely looks part Angus) this morning I noticed a large bulging white and blood red ball of something on his left eyeball. The eye ball seems fine, from what I can see, I backed off when he snorted at me, though he did let me get pretty close, in fact he walked up to me like he wanted me to see it. Our local vet has no experience with Dexters. Can anyone give me some ideas what this might be so I can help him make the right diagnosis? Thank you in advance.
|
|
|
Post by RedRidge on Jul 24, 2014 14:45:59 GMT -5
Warts?
|
|
|
Post by legendrockranch on Jul 24, 2014 14:54:16 GMT -5
Dexters are not prone to any cattle diseases of the eye, that's not to say they couldn't get one. Are you sure that's its not a foreign object? Would it be possible to take a picture of it and post it here? better yet send it to your vet.
Warts could be an option as Sheri said. Is it on the eyeball or eyelid?
Barb
|
|
|
Post by hestiamoon on Jul 24, 2014 15:41:41 GMT -5
This is the largest it would allow. Hope you can see it. From head on his eye looks fine, black and clear, but when he turns a bit there's this thing protruding. Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by kansasdexters on Jul 24, 2014 15:48:49 GMT -5
He has a pinkeye infection and the cornea has ulcerated. He needs treatment ASAP.
Patti
|
|
|
Post by hestiamoon on Jul 24, 2014 15:50:59 GMT -5
Thank you. What steps should I anticipate the vet to take? Can you see from the picture that it is actually behind his eyeball? The cornea seems fine. I'm leaning more towards the idea he got poked and it's a wound.
|
|
|
Post by kansasdexters on Jul 24, 2014 16:36:40 GMT -5
The vet will restrain the animal (in a headgate or chute) so that the eye can be safely examined and treatment provided. Treatment will likely include an antibiotic injection (we use Noromycin 300 LA, 3 mL per 100 lb live weight) in the neck, cleaning both eyes and the area around the eyes with Vetericyn pink eye spray, and applying a soothing opthalmalic ointment or gel. The eye should be cleaned and soothing ointment re-applied daily for at least a week. A single injection of Noromycin 300 LA is usually sufficient to stop a pinkeye infection.
If it was my animal, I would also isolate him from the rest of the herd, since pinkeye is very contagious. Most older animals have developed immunity to pinkeye, so he could be kept with an older animal as a companion. He should have access to deep shade (like in a barn or shed) until his eye begins healing, because sunlight exposure is very painful. Keep him away from dust, and put his hay on the ground, so that dust and irritants aren't falling on his head and face when he tries to eat. I would also treat him for flies, and wipe some Ultra-Boss pour-on, carefully on and around his face, horns, and neck with a clean wash cloth.
Patti
|
|
zephyrhillsusan
member
Caught Dexteritis in Dec. 2009. Member of this forum since Oct. 2013.
Posts: 1,502
|
Post by zephyrhillsusan on Jul 24, 2014 16:52:37 GMT -5
I haven't seen pinkeye in cattle yet, but my bet would be on Patti knowing what she's talking about. She's been raising Dexters for years. I, too, thought by looking at the photo that his cornea was involved. In fact, I found a photo online that looked similar to yours (as well as I could see your photo when I clicked on it), and it called it a corneal ulcer. It shouldn't matter at all that your vet has no experience with Dexters as this is a bovine health issue rather than an issue that is specific to Dexters. Perhaps you could simply tell your vet that your bull has an eye problem that looks pretty serious--the cornea is bulging and the eye is clouded and very red, and could he come out? I'm sure he'll be able to diagnose it when he sees it up close.
|
|
|
Post by RedRidge on Jul 24, 2014 17:24:50 GMT -5
Oh yeah. .. That's ON the eye. Pink eye! Very contagious... Keep an eye on the rest of the herd.
Although I had a case of warts on a steer that hindered his vision. But since he could still blink I didn't address it. Worst case of warts I've ever seen. But it wasn't on the eyeball - just "over" it. Took more than 8 months to get over em. In the meantime I didn't separate him from his best buddy because I figured out he always followed him with his buddy on the side where his vision was hindered. I have pics of it somewhere - looks worse than pink eye but not dangerous like pink eye is.
Good luck... Treat quickly.
|
|
|
Post by dollarlessbill on Jul 24, 2014 17:26:55 GMT -5
eye wood not wait on a vet, I wood give him a shot of LA 200 and wood also take the seringe without the needle and squirt it directly into his eye. read the directions on the bottle for proper dosage and don't inject more than 10cc into one spot, it will make a teriable nott if u do that will last fer yrs.
Bill
|
|
|
Post by carragheendexters on Jul 24, 2014 18:24:07 GMT -5
The only extra thing I would add is that it looks like it may be getting close to blowing out. That is the abscess will rupture and the eye will blow out leaving your bull blind in that eye.
When it is has gotten to that stage, our vet also likes to give an injection of corticosteroids into the conjunctiva of the eye as well, to try and limit any further damage to the eye, and it speeds up the recovery.
You may also like to put a patch on his eye, that will keep the sun and dust out of his eye, and also stop flies from getting to his eye. You are able to buy these at most farm supply stores. Flies transfer pink eye around animals by passing the bacteria from one eye to another. It is very contagious. He will be able to get around just fine with a patch on his eye.
He may end up with a bit of scarring on the cornea, but it doesn't harm them, just looks a bit ugly.
|
|
|
Post by Olga on Jul 24, 2014 18:50:00 GMT -5
In my experience, he will likely end up blind in that eye once it heals, no matter what the cause. It looks a little too far gone...
|
|
|
Post by kansasdexters on Jul 24, 2014 19:18:29 GMT -5
It is important to start treatment right away. He may yet recover sight in this eye, if it does not rupture. It will be important to check all of the other animals in the herd for runny eyes and begin treatment as soon as any problems are detected. Don't let any of the other animals in the herd get this far along before treating them.
Fly control is an essential element of pinkeye control. So is vaccination, ahead of fly season. We vaccinate for pinkeye every year in April, and then booster vaccinate in May, so that our cattle have sufficient immunity to not get pinkeye in June, July, and August (the prime months for it, in our area). We treat for flies in June and July, use fly predators (70,000 of them released every 3 weeks), and manage manure by harrowing the pastures regularly.
Hope that he improves soon and that none of your other cattle develop this problem.
Patti
|
|
|
Post by dollarlessbill on Jul 24, 2014 21:48:00 GMT -5
PAtti, did it ever come to pass that the Pink-I vakseen ever done any good, when it first was enterduced there was no signtiffic bac up fer it, my vet frind always told be whi vac for something that may not ever be a problem, I say your other precautshuns do more than the shots. PinkI round here seens to just come around bout every 8/10 years A wet spring, good grass season, my lac n of pasture clip n and dragg n and fli spray n, if I do all this at the approate time pink-I is never a problem. Now u can get a loose mineral salt with init that suppost 2 kill the fli larvee in the poop to help with control n also, I did not know of it until Paul Dextercated me to it a few months ago. I use to b a firm beliver in vacs, until we had worked a herd and fer 2/3 days the cows stood with their heads to the ground and jist looked sick in their I's ,,, they were all happie before we vakcnated them too. And one of our kids had vac's 2 start school and I will always sa it erased part of his memeory cause I raised him on the farm and was with him every day and knew what he knew and what he could do, and then it was like he was lost, and he could not remember soo much he had learnt as a child, things I embedded in him to help him through life. So no I ant no fan of vaccinating any thing fer any reason unless it a life threat n situation and not probibilitees of maybe, what-ifs ,,, eye have always said "what if a wheel falls off a air plane fli n over and hits me in the head and kills me" ? Bill
|
|
|
Post by kansasdexters on Jul 24, 2014 22:57:33 GMT -5
Bill, We use Intervet's 20/20 Vision 7 - www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/products/130_120651/productdetails_130_121070.aspx Like with any vaccine, it has to be given at the right time, and booster vaccinated in a timely manner. But it is effective and it provides a significant level of protection against pinkeye. Fly control is another important issue that must be addressed throughout the season to limit pinkeye within a herd. We start early in the season (April) and we keep after it through October, each year. A good fly control program makes a huge difference in the overall health of the cattle and not just for pinkeye. Patti
|
|